In vitro screening of natural feed additives from crustaceans, diatoms, seaweeds and plant extracts to manipulate rumen fermentation

摘要

BACKGROUND: Eight natural products from animal, unicellular algae, brown seaweed and plant origins were chosen according to their theoretical antimicrobial activity: Diatomaceous earths (DE), insoluble chitosan (ICHI), soluble chitosan (CHI), seaweed meal (SWM), Ascophyllumnodosum (ASC), Laminariadigitata (LAM), neemoil (NOIL) and an ivy fruit extract rich in saponins (IVY). Dose-response incubationswere conducted to determine their effect on rumenfermentation pattern and gas production, while their anti-protozoal activity was tested using C-14-labelled bacteria.